Warriors have little worry about Curry

WARRIORS

With 3 1/2 minutes remaining in the first half of Monday's 94-92 loss at Sacramento, Warriors head coach Mark Jackson called a timeout and directed his message to point guard Stephen Curry.

"I said, 'You're shooting like me,' " said Jackson, a career 33.2 percent shooter from three-point range. "He said, 'No, you would have made at least one of them.' "

Four games into the season, it's easy for the Warriors to laugh off Curry's slow start, but if the historically accurate shooter's woes continue much longer, the smiles will disappear.

Curry entered the season as the only player in NBA history with career shooting percentages of at least 47 from the field, 44 from three-point range and 90 from the free-throw line. He was No. 2 all-time in three-point shooting and No. 3 from the foul line.

After starting 0-for-10 in the season opener at Phoenix and missing his first eight field-goal attempts in Sacramento on Monday, Curry is shooting 32.3 percent from the floor and 34.5 percent from three-point range. He missed three consecutive free-throw tries for the first time in his career and already has missed five foul shots - a startling number considering he missed 15 of 227 in 2010-11.

"I don't know how to explain it," Curry said. "I've had really good looks. I'm just not making them. I don't feel like I'm forcing anything. I'm going to stay confident and keep shooting. I've got to get that percentage up, somehow.

Photo: Rich Pedroncelli, Associated Press

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Stephen Curry says he's getting good looks, but his shots aren't dropping. He went 3-for-15 on Monday.

Stephen Curry says he's getting good looks, but his shots aren't dropping. He went 3-for-15 on Monday.

Photo: Rich Pedroncelli, Associated Press

Warriors have little worry about Curry

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"It's not confusing, but it's a weird feeling to have open shots that I'm not making. But there's no panic from me, at all."

The Warriors are encouraged that Curry is stepping into uncontested shots within the flow of the offense. "Shots I'm supposed to take and supposed to make," he said. But he's not making them for some reason.

Curry said his mechanics are sound and his shots feel good leaving his fingertips. He did admit that there might be a little rust factor since he missed a week of practice after tweaking his ankle Oct. 19.

In Phoenix, he didn't score until he made a technical free throw with 10:15 remaining in the fourth quarter, and his first of two field goals didn't come for another two minutes. In Sacramento, he went 3-for-15 for 12 points.

Curry hasn't had a stretch like this since the preseason of his rookie year. He shot 36.6 percent from the floor and 22.2 percent from three-point range before righting his stroke to shoot 46.2 percent from the field and 43.7 percent from long range during the regular season.

"I just had an off night Monday, and Phoenix was a bad way to start the season," Curry said. "Those two nights were probably the worst I've shot since I've been here. Hopefully, I'm getting it out of the way early."

Warriors on Wednesday

Who: Cavaliers (2-2) vs. Warriors (2-2)

Where: Oracle Arena

When: 7:30 p.m.

TV/Radio: CSNBA/680

Of note: Cleveland ranks among the league's top 10 teams in offensive rebounding (14 per game, tied for fifth), three-point shooting (41.2 percent, seventh) and turnovers forced (18 per game, seventh). ... Anderson Varejao had 23 rebounds, including 12 offensive, in the opener and is second in the league with 15 boards per game. ... The Cavaliers' young backcourt is demanding notice with reigning Rookie of the Year Kyrie Irving averaging 23.8 points and six assists per game and rookie shooting guard Dion Waiters averaging 16.3 points on 55 percent three-point shooting.

- Rusty Simmons

Shooting slump

Stephen Curry's shooting percentages this year compared with his career stats entering this season: